Anti-amyloid activity of the C-terminal domain of proSP-C against amyloid beta-peptide and medin

Biochemistry. 2009 May 5;48(17):3778-86. doi: 10.1021/bi900135c.

Abstract

Amyloid fibrils are found in approximately 25 different diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Lung surfactant protein C (SP-C) forms fibrils in association with pulmonary disease. It was recently found that the C-terminal domain of proSP-C (CTC), which is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen, protects the transmembrane (TM) part of (pro)SP-C from aggregation into amyloid until it has a folded into an alpha-helix. CTC appears to have a more general anti-amyloid effect by also acting on TM regions of other proteins. Here we investigate interactions of CTC with the amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) associated with Alzheimer's disease and medin, a peptide that forms fibrils in the most common form of human amyloid. CTC prevents fibril formation in Abeta and medin and forms a complex with Abeta oligomers, as judged by size-exclusion chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. These data suggest that CTC functions as a chaperone that acts preferentially against unfolded TM segments and structural motifs found during amyloid fibril formation, a mechanism that may be exploited in forming a basis for future anti-amyloid therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / ultrastructure
  • Antigens, Surface / ultrastructure
  • Humans
  • Milk Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Milk Proteins / ultrastructure
  • Molecular Chaperones / chemistry
  • Molecular Chaperones / physiology
  • Molecular Chaperones / ultrastructure
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Fragments / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Peptide Fragments / ultrastructure
  • Protein Folding
  • Protein Precursors / physiology*
  • Protein Precursors / ultrastructure
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary / physiology
  • Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein C / chemistry
  • Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein C / physiology*
  • Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein C / ultrastructure

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • Antigens, Surface
  • MFGE8 protein, human
  • Milk Proteins
  • Molecular Chaperones
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Protein Precursors
  • Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein C
  • amyloid beta-protein (1-40)